Container carrier

ABSTRACT

A CARRIER FOR TWO OR MORE CONTAINERS HAVING A PERIPHERAL ENLARGMENT COMPRISES A STRIP-FORM BLANK COMPOSED OF TRANSVERSELY RIGID MATERIAL AND HAVING INTEGRALLY FORMED, TRANSVERSELY OFFSET HANDLE LOOPS AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF A MEDIAL STRAP PORTION. THE CARRIER IS DEFLECTED INTO A FIGURE 8 CONFIGURATION WITH THE HANDLE LOOPS OPPOSITELY DISPOSED AT THE JUNCTURE OF THE LOOPS FORMING THE FIGURE 8 AND WITH THE MEDIAL STRAP PASSING THROUGH THE HANDLE LOOPS, THEREBY TO FORM A CARRIER FOR CONVENIENTLY TANSPORTING A PAIR OF CONTAINERS. A PAIR OF THE CARRIER BLANKS   MAY BE FORMED INTO FOUR LOOPS AND JOINED TOGETHER IN A MANNER TO FORM A CARRIER FOR FOUR SIMILAR CONTAINERS.

Nov. 7, 1972 F, OL MANNS 3,702,203

CONTAINER CARRIER Filed Oct. 19. 1970 l .\'VE.\'T(JR. 650265 F 47M1 I w,yrmxx'liys n. y

United States Patent 3,702,203 CONTAINER CARRIER George F. Oltmanns,2528 Pensacola Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60618 Filed Oct. 19, 1970, Ser. No.81,887 Int. Cl. 365d 23/10 US. Cl. 294-87.2 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A carrier for two .or more containers having a peripheralenlargement comprises a strip-form blank composed of transversely rigidmaterial and having integrally formed, transversely offset handle loopsat opposite ends of a medial strap portion. The carrier is deflectedinto a figure 8 configuration with the handle loops oppositely disposedat the juncture of the loops forming the figure 8 and with the medialstrap passing through the handle loops, thereby to form a carrier forconveniently transporting a pair of containers. A pair of the carrierblanks may be formed into four loops and joined together in a manner toform a carrier for four similar containers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present inventionrelates generally to a container or article carrier, and moreparticularly refers to a container carrier blank deflectable into aconfiguration capable of supporting substantial axial loads andattachable to containers having peripheral enlargements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is contemplated by the present invention toprovide a container carrier blank composed of strip-form, transverselyrigid material deflectable into a configuration for attachment tocylindrical containers having peripheral enlargements, depressions orridges. The carrier blank has a medial strap portion and ischaracterized by a transversely offset handle loop formed at oppositeend portions of the strap.

A carrier for two containers is formed by deflecting the flexible blankinto a figure '8 configuration with the handle loops disposed at ajuncture of the circular portions forming the figure 8 configuration. Inthat manner, a pair of joined loops for individually holding thecontainers are formed with a handle positioned between the joinedcontainers.

Each of the handle loops has an enlarged opening formed in the offsetportion thereof to provide a finger hold for gripping the handle. Aretaining slot communicating with the enlarged hole via a necked portionreceives the strap, In order to form the carrier blank into a carrierfor two containers, one of the handle loops is passed through theenlarged opening of the other handle loop and the loop thus formed ispassed through the enlarged opening of the first mentioned handle. Whenassembled, the strap portion is shifted into the retaining slots formedin each of the handles. Accordingly, the present invention provides aone-piece container carrier having an integral handle portion and beingcapable of supporting substantial 'ice axial loads due to the transverserigidity of the carrier blank.

The formed container carrier engages the peripheral lip portion of cansor similar containers. Also, on glass or plastic jars of the type havinga reduced diameter waist or an upper enlarged portion, the containercarrier may support the jars by engaging the depending surface formed bythe waist or the enlarged portion. For jars having a substantiallystraight vertical sidewall, it is contemplated by the present inventionto form ridges, grooves or lugs on the container sidewalls, thereby toprovide downwardly projecting surfaces to be engaged by the containercarrier.

Also, a pair of container blanks may be deflected and joined in a mannerto form a four-container carrier.

The carrier of the present invention may be attached to the containerssubsequent to exhausting a product contained therein for converting theempty container into a convenient portable carrier for tools,miscellaneous items and the like. Also, the container carrier may beconveniently attacher by a packager to facilitate the sale of multiplecontainers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric view, partiallybroken away, and illustrates an assembled container carrier embodyingthe features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a carrier blank for the container carrierillustrated in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are partial sectional views of a side- Wall of acontainer and illustrate various forms of lugs, ridges or grooves formedon the container sidewall for engagement with the container carrier ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to thedrawings, a container carrier 10, constructed in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention, is shown attached to a pair ofcontainers 11, 11. Each of the containers 11 may have a reduced waist asat 12 forming a downwardly projecting surface 13 against which thecarrier 10 may abut in a manner to axially sup port the containers.

The containers 11 may contain a packaged product, such as coffee, abeverage, paint, etc., where the packager or retailer desires to providea convenient carrier to facilitate marketing the packaged product inmultiple units. Also, the container carrier 10 may be applied to emptiedcontainers, thereby converting an otherwise useless container into aconvenient carrier for tools, miscellaneous items and the like.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, thecontainer carrier 10 is constructed from a sheetform blank having amedial strap portion 14 and a pair of identical handle portions 16, 16'formed at opposite ends of the strap 14. The strap portion 14 iscomposed of a flexible material and is sized to have a substantialtransverse rigidity for preventing the collapse thereof when the carrier10 is subjected to substantial axial loads, such as the weight of thecontainer 11 plus a product which may be packaged therein.

Each of the handles 16 has an offset loop 17 forming an enlarged opening18. The opening 18 is sized to provide a finger hole to enable a usersgripping the carrier manually. If desired, the configuration of the loop17 may deviate from that illustrated in the drawings in a manner to forma handle to meet the requirements of a particular application.

A retaining slot 19 communicating with the opening 18 via a neckedpassageway 21 receives the medial strap portion 14 when the carrier 10is assembled. The retaining slot 19 is disposed in alignment with thestrap portion 14 and has a generally rectangular configuration sized toloosely receive the generally rectangular strap. In particular, theretaining slot 19 is formed with a bottom wall 22 spaced below a loweredge 23 of the strap 14 and a pair of top wall portions 24, 24 flankingthe passageway 21 and spaced slightly above the upper edge 26 of thestrap. The necked passageway 21 is only slightly greater than thethickness of the strap 14, and thus, the upper walls 24, 24 of theretaining slot 19 tend to snag the strap for preventing inadvertentdisplacement of the same from the retaining slot. In order to permit theassembly of more than one of the carrier blanks 10 in a configurationfor supporting a multiplicity of containers, the retaining slot may havea width slightly in excess of twice the thickness of the strap 14.

An enlarged, depending web 27 extending oppositely of the handle loopportion 17 reinforces the handle in the area below the retaining slot19, thereby enhancing the capability of the carrier 10 to supportsubstantial axial loads.

In accordance with the present invention, the flexible carrier blank 10,as illustrated in FIG. 2, is deflected into a figure 8 configurationwith the pair of handles 16, 16 disposed on opposite sides of a junctureof the pair of loops forming the figure 8, as shown in FIG. 1. Theprocedure for applying the carrier 10 to the containers 11 includesplacing one of the pair of handles 16 through the opening 18 of theopposite handle. The loop thus formed is then pulled through the openingof the first mentioned one of the handles 16 in a manner so that thehandles are oppositely located, thereby forming the figure 8configuration. The loops formed by the strap portion 14 of the carrierare slipped over the containers 11, 11 and the handles 16 are pulled upto bring the loops firmly onto the supporting surfaces 13, 13 and toshift the mid-point of the strap 14 into the rectangular retaining slots19 for locking the handles into their proper position.

In order to provide a snug fit on the containers 11, the carrier blank10 is optimally dimensioned with the distance between the centers of theretaining slots 19 selected to be substantially twice the diameter ofthe portion of the containers gripped by the carriers 10.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, it is also contemplated by thepresent invention to form the containers 11 without a reduced diameteredwaist for forming an abutment surface to be engaged by the carrier 10.In one embodiment, lugs 31 are formed on the containers 11a, asillustrated in FIG. 3. A minimum of four lugs, equally circumferentiallyspaced around the container 11a are required for properly supporting thecontainers. The lugs 31 form a depending, abutment surface 32 forengaging the upper edge 26 of the strap portion 14. Also, as shown inFIG. 4, a continuous ridge 33 may be formed around the container 11b forproviding a depending or downwardly projecting abutment surface as at34. Alternatively, the container 110, as illustrated in FIG. 5, may havea peripheral groove 36 cast or molded therein for forming a downwardlyprojecting abutment surface 37 to be engaged by the container carrier 10in a manner to axially support the containers.

It is also contemplated by the present invention to utilize a pair ofthe carrier blanks 10 for forming a fourunit container carrier. Thefour-unit carrier is assembled by placing two of the carrier blanks 10in an overlapped,

side-by-side position and then turning any one of the four handles 16outwardly and passing the two oppositely disposed handles through theenlarged opening 18 of the outwardly turned handle. That operation isthen repeated for the handle disposed initially adjacent to the firstmentioned handle. Next, each of the remaining two handles is then turnedoutwardly and the previously formed pair of loops as well as thepreviously manipulated handles are passed through the enlarged openings18 of each of the remaining handles, thereby to form four loops with thehandles disposed at a juncture between the formed loops. With thehandles 16 in a lowered position so that the strap portions 14 passthrough the enlarged opening 18, the four loops are positioned over foursimilar containers so that the straps are disposed in a position to abuta downwardly projecting surface. Once the loops have been properlypositioned on the containers, the four handles are pulled upwardly toforce the strap portions 14 into the retaining slots 19 in a manner tolock the carrier in position. The assembly operation may be quicklyaccomplished by placing the pair of carrier blanks 10 in an appropriatefork jig.

Although those versed in the art might suggest various minormodifications, it should be understood that I wish to embody within thescope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications asreasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to theart.

I claim as my invention:

1. A carrier for a plurality of containers which have means forming aperipheral, downwardly projecting abutment surface, comprising: meansforming a flexible sheetform member having a medial strap portion and apair of handle portions respectively formed at opposite ends of saidmedial strap portion, each said handle portion including a looptransversely offset of said strapportion and forming an enlarged openingsized to permit passage of one of said handle portions therethrough andto form a manually engageable grip portion, said handle portion having astrap-retaining slot formed therein in substantial alignment with saidstrap portion and communicating with said enlarged opening for receivingsaid strap portion in the assembled position, said sheet-form memberbeing deflected into a figure 8 configuration to form a pair of loopsfor encircling a pair of similar containers, and said handles beingdisposed in a side-by-side relationship at a juncture of the loops andhaving said strap portion passing through said slots, said handleportion having a necked passageway communicating said enlarged openingwith said retaining slot and said retaining slot being formed with apair of locking surfaces flanking said necked passageway for preventinginadvertent, upward movement of said strap from said retaining slot.

2. A carrier as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by saidstrap portion having a width sized to provide substantial transverserigidity to said strap portion.

3. A sheet-form blank composed of flexible material and being formableinto a carrier for a plurality of containers, said blank comprising amedial elongated strap portion having opposite ends and a pair of handleportions formed at and extending substantially transversely of the strapopposite ends, said strap having a transverse width sized to providesubstantial transverse rigidity, and each said handle including a loopportion forming an enlarged opening sized to permit one of said handlesto be passed therethrough and to form a manually engageable gripportion, each said handle also including a retaining slot, extendingtransverse to the axis of said elongated strap portion, sized to receivesaid strap portion and being disposed substantially in alignmenttherewith and communicating with said enlarged opening.

4. A carrier for a plurality of containers, comprising handle means andelongated strap means formed from flexible sheet-form material, saidstrap means in elongated direction having a dimension such that it maysubstantially encircle a desired plurality of adjacently dis- 6 posedsimilarly positioned containers, said handle means References Citedfarming a1 manually engageable grip portion of annular UNITED STATESPATENTS s ape an strap-receiving and retainin slot means disposed belowand communicating with sfid annular-shaped 2970729 2/1961 Allen 224 55grip portion, said slot means being of a size to receive 5 FOREIGNPATENTS an aligned intermediate portion of said strap means to 7 4 711/1966 Italy form a plurality of laterally aligned loops therein, each2 17 1923 Italy 24 45 of a size to horizontally encircle andsupportingly engage a respective container, with said grip portion beingdis- 1 EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner posed substantially at one sideof the plane of the plurality O L CHERRY, Assistant Examiner oflaterally allgned loops whereby such containers may depend downwardlybelow the respective supporting loops S L with the grip portionextending above the uppermost portions of such depending containers. 152416 215*100 22445 AA

